The fifth night after the incident with the Ascian, Valoren has another nightmare.
He’d been too exhausted the previous nights to truly dream, but tonight, the phantasm appears as chillingly vivid as ever it had. Because it’s the same nightmare. He’s running from some unseen monster, and he can fly, but never high enough to truly escape, and he can feel its touch brush against his ankles, soft and cold, so very cold.
He’s had this dream a hundred, a thousand times. He’ll get worn out, and the monster will catch him, and then he’ll wake up in a cold sweat. He knows what to expect.
What he doesn’t expect is for the monster to stop chasing him. Hearing the footsteps halt, Valoren stumbles, but there’s no freezing touch from behind. Instead, he hears panting, like the monster is trying to catch its breath.
And then it speaks. She speaks.
“Please, Valoren, I’m so tired. I can’t keep doing this.” Her voice is soft and sorrowful, like she’s mourning every word. “Just… let me hold you? Please?”
Valoren freezes. He doesn’t say anything, and every instinct is screaming at him to run. But when he hears her take a step forwards, he stays still, and waits.
She approaches slowly. Not like a hunting predator, but like scared prey. Valoren’s heart is racing in his chest as she stops right behind him. He can feel the cold radiating from her body.
“Thank you,” she says, voice trembling. And then she folds him into an embrace, and Valoren wakes up with a gasp.
—
Apollo can always recognize when Valoren is waking up from a nightmare. It helps that Valoren usually doesn’t wake up before Apollo does unless he wakes with a start.
“It’s over, love,” Apollo murmurs sleepily, pulling Valoren into his arms. “Do you feel like going back to sleep, or…?”
—
Valoren clings to Apollo, even more unnerved than usual.
“She—” he croaks, then clears his throat. “She spoke to me.” Valoren feels even colder than he typically wakes up. It’s a chill that goes bone deep, like he’d spent all day in the snow. Still, Apollo is warm as always, surrounding him in a comforting cocoon of heat. “The monster that’s always chased me, she spoke to me.”
—
Apollo frowns a little. “What did she say?” He squeezes Valoren just a little tighter. It’s okay. I’m here. Don’t be afraid. “Did she threaten you…?”
—
“N-no. She stopped chasing me, and she said she was tired, and… she asked to hold me.” Valoren shivers, recalling the frozen embrace. “I didn’t move. So she touched me, and it was like ice. It’s always like ice, but I can’t… I’m…” He sighs, unable to find the proper words. Then the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he realizes where he’s felt that cold before. “It felt like when I transform.”
—
Apollo feels an answering shiver crawl up his spine. “Love, when you transform…what does it feel like?” Maybe it’s an oversight that Apollo has never asked what his blasphemy transformation feels like, but he just never wanted Valoren to have to relive the experience. Now, he has no chance. “You say you feel cold…but are you aware? You feel unreachable when you’re transformed…”
—
“I… it feels like I’m underwater. Somewhere dark, and cold, and alone, like the bottom of the ocean. I can’t sense what’s going on, but I can feel it, emotionally. And when I come back to myself, I can breathe again, and the first thing I see is out of the mask’s eyes. And that chill precedes a transformation, endures throughout it, and lingers after I’m back. It haunts me.” Valoren curls a little tighter into Apollo’s chest, shivering. “You are the only one who makes me feel warm.”
—
“This nightmare…do you think the monster has something to do with the transformations?” Apollo makes a noise of frustration. “I just wish I knew more about this kind of thing. That I had any idea how to help you.” He smooths down Valoren’s hair in what he hopes is a comforting gesture.
—
Valoren leans into the touch, letting it soothe him. “You are helping me, love. And I wish I knew, too,” he sighs. “But I don’t know. I’ve had the same dream for as long as I can remember, well before the blasphemy came to be. If they’re related, it would mean that this was with me even before the Final Days, which is… a concerning thought.” Valoren curls his fingers into Apollo’s hair. “I don’t know. But something tells me this won’t be the last I’ll see of her. I may yet find out.”
—
The next night, Valoren isn’t running. Instead, he’s in some sort of ruined manor, with dark skies of bruised purple above. It seems to be abandoned. As he explores the estate’s crumbling halls, he can’t shake the feeling that he’s been here before.
Then he sees it: a cold white glow coming from the balcony. He creeps forwards, trying to peek around the wall and find its source. And then he sees her. The woman appears to be a miqo’te, with hair like flowing moonlight and an elegant robe that covers very little at all. And her lantern is what’s glowing.
“Who are you?” Valoren asks. She whips around, claws readied, but paused upon seeing him.
“Valoren, you can’t be here,” she implores. Chills run down his spine. He knows that voice, this cold. This is his monster.
“Why have you been hunting me?”
The woman looks out over the balcony one last time, then takes her lantern and slips inside the room. Now that Valoren can properly see her, he’s struck by how beautiful she is. There’s an ethereal grace about her, even more feline than most Miqo’te. She extends her hand to him, and he flinches.
“Kimi. My name is Kimi.” As her golden eyes crinkle, Valoren sees that they’re horizontally slit, like a sheep’s. He belatedly realizes her hand was extended in introduction.
“You already know me, apparently, but I’m Valoren.”
Without thinking, he takes her hand. His lips are pressed to her cool knuckles before he realizes his mistake, and wakes up abruptly.
—
This time, Apollo wakes to Valoren rolling over on top of him in his sleep. “Uh—love,” he says patiently, adjusting quickly. “Careful. Did you sleep well this time?”
—
“I met her,” Valoren says. “The monster. Her name is Kimi. And she’s actually a Miqo’te.” Valoren checks the window; it’s not long before dawn. Might as well be up, he supposes. He stretches his arms, settling them around Apollo’s neck.
—
“You’re in a much better mood this time,” Apollo muses. “At least she was human…was she nice?” He cant resist pressing little kisses all over Valoren’s face and neck, all lazy and relaxed now that Valoren seems to be having better dreams. Or at least less panic-inducing ones.
—
“I think so? She didn’t attack me, anyway. But she seemed sad. Or worried. Perhaps both.” Valoren smiles at the kisses, turning his head to catch one on his lips. “We were in this dark ruined castle, but she had a lantern with light. She introduced herself, and when I went to kiss her hand, I uh, woke up.” He chuckles, abashed. “I always wake up when she touches me. I should’ve realized that would be no different.”
—
“Next time, maybe you can get some answers.” Apollo can’t help but feel a little bit of excitement. This might be the key to Valoren being able to control his blasphemy transformation better. Or at least understand it.
—
“I certainly hope so. We’ll have to plan for what I ask her,” Valoren muses. “It was odd, though. She said I couldn’t be in the manor we were in, but I couldn’t help but feel like I’d been there before. It was familiar.” Valoren fiddles with Apollo’s ears, which are extra floppy when he’s half asleep.
—
“You mean like maybe you’ve been there in person?” Apollo wiggles his ears a little just to hear Valoren giggle at them. “Um…there’s Stormcrow Manor…Haukke Manor, the Yellow…Mansion? Manor? Beetle’s place,” he finally settles on.
—
“I don’t think it was any of those. It was more castle like, similar to Beetle’s place in scale, but the architecture was… odd. It was crumbling, but it seemed somewhere between Ishgardian and… Sharlayan? Are there any huge manors in Old Sharlayan?” he wonders.
—
“Hmm…none really in Old Sharlayan. Maybe out by Idyllshire? Or maybe it was an eccentric Ishgardian…” Apollo thinks hard about what sprawling, Ishgardian-adjacent castles he’s been in. “What was the scenery outside like? Did you get a glimpse?”
—
“Not really. We were by a balcony, but all I could see was sky. It was dark and purple, like a vibrant thunderstorm. And it felt like it was watching me.” Valoren isn’t sure where the last statement came from, but it rings true.
—
Apollo freezes a little. Strange dark castle with a purple sky… “That sounds like Troia,” he murmurs. “But that can’t be right. That only exists on the Thirteenth…”
—
“Pardon?” Valoren wasn’t sure he heard that right. “Did this Troia have greenery around, which was closer to dark teal and violet?” He frowns. He’d heard tales of the Thirteenth, the horrifying void which spawned all manor of demons. He hadn’t seen any creatures around besides Kimi, though. “If it truly was on the Thirteenth… my echo ought to protect me, right?”
—
“Yes…and thank Hydaelyn for that,” Apollo says. He still knows exactly where to find his warding scale among his belongings. “That sounds like Troia…but that makes no sense. You’ve never been there, so how could it be in your dreams?” Apollo pales as he has a realization. “You must be traveling there, somehow.”
—
“Well. Shit,” says Valoren. “Perhaps that’s why she said I couldn’t be there. This is the first time I’ve dreamt of this location — usually I’m in the Coerthan wilderness at night — so if I truly visited, this would be my first such journey.” He chews on his lower lip, thinking. “I didn’t see anything or anyone else there besides her. Were there residents of Troia when you were there?”
—
“Yes. Although…” Apollo winces. “We did have to…take care of a few. But there should still have been a few of them wandering around. It’s odd you haven’t encountered any…” Apollo shifts a little. “Did you have any weapons in the dream? Will you have to defend yourself?”
—
“I was unarmed,” Valoren admits. “As was Kimi. When she turned to face me, she made as though to claw at me, rather than reaching for a weapon.” He frowns. “My last resort weapon has always been my blasphemy form, but something tells me it’s not going to work there. I suppose the only thing I’d be able to do is run.” The beginnings of an idea are forming in his mind. “Though, perhaps… we could travel to Troia in person? I’m not sure if we’ll find anything, but it’s the only lead we have, save for waiting for my next dream. And in the waking world, I can go armed. And with you.”
—
Apollo shrugs. “Doesn’t sound like too bad of an idea…if you’re willing to go, then you know I’ll be right by your side.” The idea of returning to the Thirteenth doesn’t necessarily excite him, but he is curious. He’s willing to do it—for Valoren.
—
“Excellent!” Valoren rolls over Apollo and springs to his feet. Seems his old early riser habits haven’t entirely left him, because he’s unnervingly eager to prepare for this venture into the void.
The two make what preparations they need for their excursion, including using Apollo’s retainer rapport to acquire a stash of unaspected aether crystals — something that Valoren had suggested. “I’m not very appetizing with my own paltry aether stores, but you must look like a three course meal plus beverages to those voidsent. And snacking on you is my job,” Valoren had declared.
Asking Elinor to open a portal for them was an obvious solution to the transportation issue. Busy as she was, she couldn’t act as their escort, but she agreed that the couple should be fine on their own. She agreed to open the portal on the condition that they pilfer Troia’s gardens for “one dozen darkbloom roses! Here’s an illustration. And mind the thorns — they’re poisonous.” To ensure their safe exit, Elinor had furnished each of them with a device of some sort, and a very long-winded explanation on how it worked. Met with twin blank stares, she finally gave up: “Press button, go home. Five second cast time.” With that, she’d sent them on their way.
They’re deposited on a bridge leading to the rather imposing front doors of the manor. Though they arrive with weapons drawn, it’s eerily quiet, just as Valoren had described. No movement save their own, and no sound beside the dull hum that always permeates the void. They appear to be alone.
Valoren creeps forwards, rapier drawn. A faint smile touches his lips despite the situation — or rather, because of it. “This feels familiar,” he murmurs. “Now all we need is a rat for you to shoot at.” He pauses expectantly, but the walkway remains still. “Fewer tonberries though, I should think.”
—
Apollo shudders. "Don't even joke about that!" He's glad there are no hostile voidsent to receive them, but just the idea of voidsent tonberries makes him shudder. "Do we have a plan, or is the plan to walk around and see what we can find...?"
—
“You know me, darling, we plan as we go!” Valoren jokes. “But I was hoping we might be able to locate a more intelligent resident, who I could converse with, and trade for information with these aether crystals. Barring that, I would at least like to explore the castle, and see if we can’t find that balcony I met Kimi on. I don’t remember the way I took, but I do have a vague sense of the direction. If we found an area I’d been in last night, I could likely navigate from there.”
They’ve reached the doors as he spoke. Despite how ancient they must be, the dark wood is still intact.
“Well, I suppose there’s nothing else for it but to enter, eh?”
—
"Well...considering your sense of direction, we could be here for quite a while," Apollo teases. "But you know I love wandering. I didn't have much of a chance to sightsee last time I was here..."
Honestly, the entire place itself reminds Apollo of Valoren. Or, well, his aesthetic, at least. "I suppose so," he says regarding the door. Apollo braces himself and pushes the doors open.
—
As Apollo enters the foyer of the grand castle, he hears a quiet padding off to the side - some small creature trying and failing to be silent. Valoren appears not to hear it as he edges in past his husband, rapier drawn. He allows the point of the blade to fall.
"Empty, 'twould appear. How odd."
—
This immediately feels wrong to Apollo. "I heard something," he says, drawing his bow. He turns towards the source of the sound. "Be on your guard. There's some manner of...creature here?" He furrows his brow.
—
“Some manner of creature?!” a voice repeats. It’s the sniveling posh accent Valoren would have attributed to an Ishgardian noble. “Excuse you! I am the last voidsent in this castle! Therefore, it is mine by rights, and you are speaking to a lord!” The voice lets out a long-suffering sigh. “Oh, why do I bother, you mortals can only hear mewling regardless.” From behind a pillar, out stalks a feline creature with wrinkly skin and bat-like wings. Valoren, who had raised his sword again, lowers it with delight.
“I can understand you quite well, milord!” he grins. “How fortuitous that we happened upon your most eminent self. ‘Tis a splendid domain, I must say.”
—
Apollo watches in stunned confusion as a creature resembling a hairless cat with bat wings strolls out, meowing loudly. His head snaps to Valoren as he responds, although Apollo does lower his weapon. How much harm could such a little creature do?
“Is that…a rat? Or a cat? Some sort of bat cat?” Apollo asks, puzzled. “Why are you talking to it?” Usually, Apollo can sniff out one of Valoren’s bits immediately, but he’s getting confusing signals right now.
—
The cat lets out a long yowl and Valoren nods as though listening. “He says his name is Simon, thank you, and he’s a Gaelicat.” Another meow. “Or was, before he ate a Gremlin.” More noises, followed by a licking of chops and a stare directly at Apollo with glowing cyan eyes. “Absolutely not! That’s my husband,” Valoren pouts. “He’s entirely off the menu to anyone but myself. However… he is carrying some aether crystals, which we would happily exchange for information!”
Simon says nothing for some time, licking his paws, before letting out a single meow.
—
Apollo crosses his arms and looks from Valoren to the…Simon…and back. “Er…I see. That would make sense.” He’s entirely unconvinced that Valoren isn’t just making this all up to mess with him, but the cat-thing did look at him with quite a bit of hunger in its eyes. “I doubt it could eat me if it tried,” he says, raising an eyebrow.
“Love…don’t you think we should perhaps find a voidsent with…er…” Apollo glances nervously at the animal again, before reminding himself that it probably doesn’t understand a word of what he’s saying. “…practical information?”
—
Simon lets out an indignant yowl, flicking his ear in Apollo’s direction.
“One crystal per answer,” Valoren haggles. “No, you may not have a free sample.” The cat meows again, and Valoren nods. “Deal. We’ll provide the crystal after you answer. You said you were the last voidsent in this castle. First question: do you know of any creatures besides voidsent that have been here recently - since, say, after the castle’s inhabitants were culled by a group of mortals?” Simon pauses, then lets out a trio of short meows. “Shit,” Valoren says, paling. “Is she… still here?” Meow. “Right, fine.” Valoren turns to Apollo. “Can you get him a crystal? He says he’s seen a lady in white who’s neither mortal nor voidsent. It can only be Kimi.”
—
“Oh. So he is talking to you!” Apollo says incredulously. He pulls out a crystal and kneels to be closer to the creature’s level, holding the crystal out. The crea—the Simon stalks closer, giving Apollo a nasty stink eye. “Sorry,” Apollo says sheepishly, still feeling a little like he’s falling for a Valoren bit. “Please—we’d like to know if she’s still here. Or if she’s dangerous, as far as you can tell.”
—
Simon presses his nose to the crystal and it disappears in a flash of light. He shakes himself, stretching his wings. Swiveling his gaze to Valoren, he responds with a long meow that can only be described as smug. “Yes, alright, both of them.” The cadence of his mews certainly seems conversational as he replies to Valoren. “I see. Two more crystals, love; he says she is ‘obviously’ still here, and that she’s ‘currently’ not dangerous — his phrasing specifically.” Valoren frowns, chewing on his lower lip. “[How many crystals do we have?]” he asks in Vieran, hoping the echo won’t translate for the voidsent. From the curious “mrrp?” that Simon makes, his ploy appears to have been successful.
—
Apollo frowns a little. “Tricksy little animal,” he muses. “[Nine, after the three this little one’s about to take,]” Apollo responds, doling out the crystals. Simon is kind of cute, he thinks, tilting his head. In kind of an ugly way. “[Shall we start searching for ourselves?]”
Apollo squints at Simon before getting up. “He understands me, right? Can I…pet him?” —
Simon lets out a loud purr and bonks his head against Apollo’s hand as an answer. He rubs up against Apollo, then begins licking his thumb. It’s unclear whether this is affectionate grooming or a taste test.
“Aww, I think he likes you!” The creature’s louder purring needs no translation. “Simon, darling, what do you say to five crystals for you to lead us to her?” Simon stops purring briefly to let out a chipper meow. He begins twining around Apollo’s legs. “That’s a yes,” Valoren tells Apollo. “He seems to know where she’ll be, and I do trust him. Well, or trust him enough to want more crystals, anyway.”
—
“Sorry about earlier,” Apollo whispers to the cat as he pets his wrinkly, oddly smooth skin. “You don’t look like a rat at all.”
Apollo smiles and looks at Valoren in that fond, lovestruck way of his. “You’re so clever, you know that?” He moves towards Valoren to give him a kiss on the forehead. “It would have taken me much longer to find this Kimi if I were alone.”
Apollo makes a sweeping motion with his hand towards Simon. “After you, little guy.”
—
The cat looks between Apollo and Valoren and makes a noise like he’s hacking up a hairball. Valoren rolls his eyes. “Oh, hush, you.” As soon as Simon turns to saunter off down the hall, Valoren leans over to kiss Apollo’s cheek.
The two follow Simon through the empty hallways for some time. True to his word, he really does appear to be the last voidsent in the entire castle. Perhaps Valoren should have asked why that is. But before long, he starts to recognize the rooms and corridors; he walked here last night. Eventually, they reach the suite attached to the balcony where he’d last seen her. Simon stops outside the door and meows.
“Yes? What do you need?” Kimi’s voice never fails to send a shiver down Valoren’s spine. Simon meows again.
“It’s me, Valoren.” To his relief, his voice stays steady. —
To be quite honest, Apollo didn’t know what he was expecting. But it’s not an unpleasant surprise to behold the lovely Miqo’te woman standing in the doorway. Just…mystifying. Apollo finds himself unable to parse how he’s feeling about this right now. He knows he feels protective of Valoren, but he always does, and so far he has no reason to feel threatened by Kimi.
“We’re just…here for answers,” he says softly.
—
Kimi looks from Apollo, to Valoren, to Simon, and sighs.
“I had hoped you wouldn’t come back,” she says to Valoren, “but I’m glad you’re not alone. I could tell you that you’re not safe here, but clearly the words wouldn’t mean much to you.” She opens the door, gesturing with a clawed hand. “Come in.”
Simon saunters inside, inviting himself in first. After a moment, Valoren follows. The room is much as he remembered it, and Kimi leads them to a seating area. She perches on a chair, tense as though prepared to dart away at a moment’s notice.
“So it’s answers you seek. I hope I can provide them.” She bites at her lower lip in an oddly familiar way. “I know all of you, but Apollo, we have yet to be… formally introduced. My name is Kimi. But you would know me from when I puppet your husband’s body, on the occasions when his dynamis becomes too much to control. I am his blasphemy. More accurately, I am his mask.”
—
Oooohhh, this is a weird feeling. Apollo’s never quite sat down and figured out how he feels about Valoren’s blasphemy form. He supposes it’s because he had assumed it was just…Valoren. Another facet of him. The revelation that it’s a different person entirely is jarring, to say the least.
“It’s…good to meet you,” Apollo says quietly, polite even amidst thoughts that roil around inside his head like a stormy tempest. The way she moves, it’s all eerily familiar.
The next thing out of his mouth surprises him. “Thank you for keeping him safe.”
—
Valoren is, for once, stunned into silence. He’d had a feeling that Kimi and the blasphemy were correlated, but that they were one and the same was baffling news indeed.
At Apollo’s expression of gratitude, Kimi looks like she’s about to cry.
“It’s all I’ve ever tried to do for him,” she says quietly. “With the mask, the dreams, all of it has been to protect him. And you, once you came into his life.” She brushes an errant strand of hair from her face.
Simon meows something, and Valoren chokes out a surprised laugh. “I suppose so,” he agrees. Then he looks to Kimi. “I’ve dreamt of you all my life. Have you been with me all this time?”
She smiles, and it’s as bright as moonlight.
“I have. And longer. The Final Days may have awoken it, but this has always been within you — as I have been beside you.”
Valoren goes quiet again, trying to process this.
—
There’s just something about her smile that melts Apollo like butter. It makes him feel all gooey and soft, like he wants to please her. “Simon says you’re not a voidsent,” he says, giving the little beast a glance. “How are you here, then?”
—
Kimi’s face falls. “This is my prison,” she says. “It has been for over a century. I am not of this world, nor am I of yours.” She glances up to the lantern hanging from the ceiling, which is shining bright white light. “I am bound here by virtue of my nature; I cannot venture far from the Light that my jailer has placed here.” Her gaze slides back down to meet Apollo’s. “Which of course begs the question: who is my jailer? You’ve met her, too. The Black Dog. She is the burning darkness that lies underneath my mask when Valoren transforms.”
Simon’s hairs stand on end, and he arches his back with a quiet hiss. He prowls in front of Apollo protectively.
“So soon?” Kimi asks him, worried. “Light, I was sure we had more time.” Her gaze snaps to Apollo and Valoren. “You two need to leave. Valoren, if you touch me now then I’ll be able to contact you in your dreams. But you have to get going. The Black Dog is here.” She stands up, and Valoren rises with her. Approaching, Kimi holds out her hand. Valoren hesitates barely a moment before clasping it. She’s just as cold as ever, but it’s almost pleasant in the heat of the room - was it growing hotter in here? Valoren squeezes her hand before letting go.
Simon meows plaintively at Apollo, and Valoren translates. “He wants to come with us. Not sure if Eli’s devices will work on an extra passenger, but it’s worth a shot.” As he speaks, he’s pulling the device from his bag. Gods, it was sweltering in here.
—
The Black Dog. Just the way she says the name makes Apollo anxious. The darkness behind the mask…he has so many things he still wants to ask her (how did you end up here? Why are you imprisoned? Where are you from? Why do you make my head spin?), but it appears their time is up, and he refuses to put Valoren in harm’s way to satisfy his own curiosity.
“We’re taking the cat with us?!” Apollo asks, astonished, but he picks Simon up and carries the little voidsent under his arm without hesitation. “I’m warning you, if you eat anything without permission back home I will personally ship you back here,” he tells Simon sternly.
Apollo turns back to Kimi. “Is there no way for you to leave? Can’t you come with us as well…?” He can’t overstate just how little he wants to leave Kimi here, alone and at the mercy of whatever beast is now causing sweat to pour down his brow.
—
Kimi shakes her head, causing her hair to fall in front of her face. “I can no more survive in your world than I can in this one without Light. But don’t worry about me. She can’t kill me. And I’ll only be in trouble if she finds you here. So go. Please, just go.” She pleads with them with such earnesty that it breaks Valoren’s heart.
“Alright, we’ll go. I’ll see you tonight, then?”
“Yes! Just go!” The room is becoming scorching now. Valoren has his finger over the button on the device. He can hear… are those claws clacking on the stone stairs? He glances to Apollo.
—
“Hit the button!” Apollo urges him. Simon yowls in what he assumes must be panic. If he stays a moment longer in this room, he feels like he might burn to a crisp. Elinor’s device chirps happily as it counts down the 5 seconds to send them home. Panic stands the hair on the back of Apollo’s neck on end as what looks like the maw of a massive black wolf comes into view.
At the last possible moment, he turns and meets Kimi’s eyes.
The sweet, cool air of home is the first thing that greets them. Apollo lets out a deep sigh of relief, willing his racing heart to calm down. “Love? Are you alright?”
—
“Yes, are you?” They’ve appeared in Elinor’s workshop on a dias clear of clutter; the scientist herself appears to be elsewhere. “Did Simon make it?”
Simon makes a small mew, and Valoren exhales slowly.
“Well, that was a bit too close for comfort!” he says cheerfully. “Gods, what a lot to think about, though.”
“Lucky for you two, thinking is my specialty! Did you get the roses?” Elinor’s voice precedes her as she swoops into the room.
“Ah, shit,” Valoren grumbles. “Unfortunately, our exit was rather hurried.”
“Ah, that’s okay. Just means I gotta— what the hells is that thing?! Is it a voidsent??”
Simon lets out an indignant meow, ears flat as he eyes the scientist.
“He is! His name is Simon.” Valoren shoots Simon a look as he hisses. “Well that’s not polite. This is our friend, Elinor. She’s the brilliant lady who enabled our little excursion. Really, you should be thanking her, not calling her… something I shan’t repeat.”
Simon says nothing.
— Apollo boops Simon on the nose before setting him down. "Elinor is lovely—you'll like her, little potty mouth." Apollo examines the trio to make sure nothing has been damaged—or singed—in the escape. "We, uh...well. It's a long story."
— Valoren doesn't dream of Kimi that night. Nor the next. He's beginning to grow truly worried by the third night, but then, finally, she appears. This time, he doesn't have to wander to find her. He's outside her room in Troia, and there's a cold glow from beneath the door. He knocks softly.
"Come in."
Valoren finds her seated on the couch, wearing short white robes. He smiles with relief.
"I'm glad to see you unharmed. I was quite concerned for you," he confesses. When he takes a seat, it's as close as he can get without touching her.
"I'm sorry to worry you. I've been working on something." She lifts her hand, and a pale wisp of light that Valoren hadn't noticed before drifts down to rest upon it. "I've conjured these sprites around the castle. They serve dual purpose: to ward and to alarm. Now that Simon is with you, I won't have his warning when the Black Dog approaches. So I've placed these instead." The light floats back to the ceiling, where it hovers in place. "I had to shatter the Moonlantern to create these, but now I'm able to travel throughout Troia under their illumination."
"Beautiful," Valoren murmurs. As Kimi has turned to look at the light, her face is bathed in a holy glow. Valoren isn't referring to the mote.
Kimi seems to catch onto this, because she glances his way with a sly smile on her face.
"You know, since we made contact in person, you can touch me now."
"And I won't wake up?"
"No. You'll stay here until you wake up naturally, or one of us sends you home."
— It's Kimi who makes the first move closer. Valoren isn't expecting the sudden, almost predatory movement, but he conceals his growing apprehension with ease. Instead of flinching or leaning away like his gut is telling him to, the actor pulls a practiced expression of half-resisted yearning. You're not the only one with a mask here.
As Kimi straddles his waist, Valoren runs his hands up her torso with reverence. He appears awestruck, looking up at her with wanting eyes. She smiles, and Valoren knows that smile. He shoves down a shudder at the blasphemous grin, but he's chilled to his core. Her movements are familiar, too; there's an exaggerated fluidity to them, like a puppeteer. He can't help but wonder... if she's the one pulling strings, what does that make him?
Valoren smiles warmly. Kimi moves in to kiss him, and it's all he can do not to recoil. Her lips are soft and cold and they taste like nothing, like an absence. The way her icy hands slip around his neck makes him want to flee. He has no reason to feel like this, he reasons. Then again, when has reasoning himself out of his instincts ever done him any good?
And so as Valoren pulls Kimi in close to his body, he reaches out with his mind. If hearts could cry, then his is screaming.
APOLLO! I NEED YOU! HELP!
— "Hurk—" Apollo shoots awake, his body still in fight or flight mode. What's happening? What's going on? Are we under attack? He jumps out of bed purely on instinct, immediately ready to swing at whatever caused his husband to call for help. But the house is silent, peaceful. And Valoren is sleeping soundly next to him in bed.
Apollo contemplates whether he should wake him up, but decides that if nothing's the matter, Valoren can just roll around and go back to sleep again. "Love?" He asks, gently shaking Valoren's shoulder. "Are you alright?"
— Valoren has to drag and claw himself from sleep, but the moment his eyelids flutter open, he sits bolt upright with a great gasp of air. He takes deep breaths, grounding himself in the waking world.
"Thank you," he says, when he can finally breathe enough to speak again. "Gods, that was horrifying." He turns to Apollo, the fear evident in his eyes. "Apollo, I fucked up."
Valoren is digging his nails into his thighs, clearly trying to prevent himself from transforming. It's not working. Though his chest heaves with deep, intentional breaths, the panic has its teeth in him. Smoke is already starting to rise, but more concerning still, his face is beginning to pale. Come on, Valoren. You cannot transform now. You CANNOT.
— "Okay, that's alright. Nothing we can't handle, right, love?" Apollo pulls Valoren into his arms and squeezes him tight. "Whatever nightmare you just had can't hurt you here." He rubs Valoren's back soothingly, pressing kisses to the crown of his head. "Nothing to be afraid of."
— Valoren's face begins to contort into a waxy grin. Though he struggles to choke back the words, the they hiss from his throat regardless.
"HE WILL BE MINE."
Then Apollo's words wash over him like warm rain. The mask melts, leaving Valoren trembling but himself. He focuses on Apollo's touch, the sound of his voice, his presence. He's not alone. He's safe.
It's some moments before he's composed enough to speak. "Kimi... is not what she appears to be." To Valoren's relief, his voice remains steady. "I'm not sure what she actually is, or what she wants from me, but gods, I'm not sleeping again until we figure it out."